External Insulation Retrofits are good for business

In Australia, vendors and lessors of 2,000 sqm or more of office space are now required to obtain and disclose a current Building Energy Efficiency Certificate as part of the National Australian Built Environment Rating System or NABERS.

Increasing the insulation value of external walls is the single most efficient way to improve energy efficiency. With Masterwall K-Series, existing inefficient or non-NABERS compliant commercial buildings can be completely transformed.

Having an insulated external building envelope means that the facade is protected from thermal exchange from outside extremes. The result? Hot/cold spots in the wall system are eliminated, thereby enabling lower energy use with reduced operating costs including savings of 30 to 40 percent in energy costs.

This is the case in the UK, where tenants of the Brinnington High Rise have considerably reduced heating bills and carbon emissions while benefiting from a more aesthetic building. Comparing the ‘before and after’ thermal images (shown above) clearly demonstrates the thermal efficiency of an accredited insulated external wall system like MasterWall K-Series, which has been specifically formulated for Australian conditions and includes C3 Cyclonic rating and B.A.L. 40 fire rating. The ‘after’ image demonstrates just how powerful the insulative effect is compared to the amount of heat loss experienced in the ‘before’ image especially where the tenants are home.

Closer to home, the City of Melbourne is encouraging building owners to retrofit their properties as a way of lowering their environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, while at the same time reducing operating costs, tenant churn and vacancy rates.

So serious is Melbourne about improving the environmental performance of its building stock, that it is offering finance for retrofit works through its 1200 Buildings Program. Building owners wanting to install the MasterWall K-Series System, as a way of upgrading their environmental credentials, can apply for funding.

The MasterWall K-Series has been specifically formulated for the Australian market to create a complete external insulation solution. Powered by Kingspan Kooltherm® and Masterwall’s innovation and technology, the K-Series is second to none when it comes to thermal performance.

For example, installing just 80mm of Masterwall K-Series by retrofitting over an existing uninsulated brick building will increase the thermal rating around 8 times from R 0.51 to an impressive R 4.0.

Application of the K-Series can be designed as either direct-to-frame or to masonry as well as concrete substrates where a render system finish is required. It can also be designed as a soffit cladding offering insulation between occupied and unoccupied floors within buildings. For example,

the system can be installed between a commercial carpark and the tenanted floors above, or between an underground carpark and the occupied areas of a building.

Watch these 2 engaging videos featuring Perth based Iron Design Cladding, one of the leading MasterWall distributors in our national network. The YouTube links below from Channel 7’s Home WA, provide a great overview of the benefits of our 2 leading External Insulated Finish System (EIFS) and demonstrates Iron Design Cladding’s leadership as a supplier and installer of the MasterWall and MasterWall K-Series wall systems.

You’ll see how each of the components of the MasterWall and MasterWall K-Series systems, including MasterWall’s pre-meshed panels, frame wrap, trims, opening flashings, weather-tight sealants and acrylic render system combine to create a total weather-tight building envelope.

Filmed in Western Australia, the videos highlight the versatility of MasterWall. Apart from providing great insulation and acoustic performance, the systems also provide outstanding protection against cyclones (C3 Rating) and a Bushfire Attack Level (B.A.L 40) for our newest product, MasterWall K-Series. For more information visit the MasterWall website.